Wired for June 30

I have been using the BlackBerry Z10 for two weeks; here's my take on the device.

First of all, I love the feel of the Z10 and the way the operating system is set up. Another thing that is awesome: making phone calls. Voices are so clear, it's incredible. I have actually received compliments from people on the other end of the phone: "You sound so clear. Are you using some sort of special phone accessory?" Since I side-loaded Instagram onto the device, I more or less have every single app I wish to have on a phone.

The one thing about the device that's driving me insane is randomly, about four times a day, it turns itself off. I'll be sending a text message or reading Twitter and the device will power down and I have to restart the phone. Sometimes restarting the phone doesn't even help and I'll have to take the battery out in order to reboot. Having to remove a battery two weeks into a new phone's life is not a good sign.

I tweeted at @BlackBerryHelp and I am still awaiting a response on how to fix this. I've researched this problem on a few BlackBerry forums and it seems other Z10 users are experiencing this problem. I don't know if it's because I'm using the phone constantly and it's overheating or if it's a bug in the operating system. If the phone didn't randomly turn on and off, I would be very happy with the Z10; to this date, it's my one and only complaint.

DNA11

I was browsing online yesterday and stumbled across an incredibly cool company called DNA11. The company offers modern artwork that displays your DNA. The first thing you do is pick out the frame, size and colour you want, then you follow the step-by-step instructions on providing a DNA sample to the company. The company then extracts your DNA and runs it on a gel. After they've run your DNA, they capture a raw digital picture of it. This picture is displayed on your frame in an incredibly modern way. Instead of having pictures of your family at your house, you can have digital images of each persons' DNA running on this incredibly beautiful digital-picture frame. DNA11 also provides ancestry artwork, your mouth (kissy face), fingerprint portraits, etc.

If you want to learn more about this, just head over to their website at DNA11.com

Age of cellphones

I spoke at an event this past week and my mission was to educate the listeners on the importance of a personally branded social media presence -- and to be mindful of the content you share with the world. I began my discussion by asking what age children should be before they get a smartphone. I received my first cellphone at age 12 -- a Samsung flip phone. The listeners' responses ranged from 12 to 14. No one said they would give a smartphone to their kid under the age of 10. Me? I'd give my kid a smartphone around age six to nine just for the simplicity of communication. I think the times are changing and a phone is a very important thing in people's lives. Please send me an email with your opinion on these questions: What age would you give your child a cellphone, and why? And at what age would he/she be allowed to use social media? Email me at: db@thedavidbell.com

Social media gets its day

Today is National Social Media Day. I am not aware of any social media meet-ups that are happening in Winnipeg but to participate, tweet a reflection of your social media use over the past year by using the hashtag #SMDay. Social media is such an important part of society and today is the day to celebrate. Happy Social Media Day, everyone! Follow me on Twitter @thedavidbell.

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All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.